Whole Farm Grazing Strategies (WFGS) - Train the Trainer

Summary

Whole Farm Grazing Strategies (WFGS) is a course for farmers that evolved from EverGraze. It focuses on more profitable and environmentally sustainable grazing and livestock systems using the latest research outcomes from EverGraze and other relevant projects. It is an accredited training course delivered over a 2 year period.

To enable this course to be delivered in future by private and public providers, four Train the Trainer (TtT) courses were delivered across southern Australia, to 21 participants, in late 2015-early 2016.

Key findings

Following completion of each TtT course, a participant survey showed increased confidence to deliver the course; in Victoria of 31%, in New South Wales (NSW) of 92%, in South Australia (SA) of 100% and in Western Australia (WA) of 61%. All participants thought the information provided was appropriate and adequate and would enable them to deliver the course.

Of the 21 participants trained, 17 intend to deliver WFGS courses across southern Australia during 2016. A model for delivery of the WFGS course is discussed.

Future research

There are three recommended methods for the delivery of WFGS:

1. Deliver the course through an RTO: In Victoria Trainers are able to work with an RTO to access educational funding through Skills Victoria to deliver WFGS as an accredited course. This enables the cost to eligible producers to be subsidised and for the Trainer to be paid accordingly.
2. Industry Skills Fund: where other States do not have access to funding arrangements similar to Victoria there is the option of applying for funding available through the Industry Skills Fund. This is Federal funding that is available for training in all States. A farm business or a coordinator of a group of farm businesses can apply for this funding. It can be delivered as an accredited course if an RTO is involved or unaccredited if a RTO is not involved. The producer pays the full cost of the course initially and is able to get a rebate of three quarters of the total cost.
3. Fee for Service: Trainers may choose to deliver WFGS on a fee for service basis. In this case the Trainer will set the fees for the producer at a level that will make it viable for them to effectively deliver the course. This model of delivery has the disadvantage of making the course cost quite high and may make it difficult to get a viable group together.